Terrorism

What is Terrorism?

• Terrorism is the illegal use of violence or threats to frighten or coerce innocent civilians or governments in order to achieve political, social, or ideological goals. 
• Terrorism is carried out with the intention of serious damage to public or private property, a State or government facility, a public transportation system, an infrastructure facility, or the environment, depending on the attack location planned.

Types of Terrorism

1. Ideology Oriented Terrorism
   • Terrorism based on ideology is classified into
     • Left-wing Terrorism – Violence against the ruling elite mostly by the peasant class motivated by what are called leftist ideologies. For example, Maoist movement in India.
     • Right-wing Terrorism – Right-wing groups generally seek to maintain the status-quo or to return to some past situation that they feel should have been conserved.
2. Ethno-Nationalist Terrorism
   • Ethnic terrorism can be defined as deliberate violence by a subnational ethnic group to advance its cause. 
   • Such violence usually focuses either on the creation of a separate State or on the elevation of the status of one ethnic group over others.
   • For example – LTTE movement in Sri Lanka and insurgency in North – East India.
3. Religious Terrorism
   • The practitioners of terrorism motivated either in whole or in part by a religious imperative consider violence as a divine duty or a sacramental act.
   • For example – Islamic State.
4. Narcoterrorism
   • Narco-terrorism is the intersection of the illegal drug trade and terrorism.
   • Drug trafficking organisations engage in acts of terrorism to further their illicit activities or intimidate governments and people.
   • Smuggling of narcotics is carried out to fund terror outfits.
   • For example – Islamist terrorist groups in India supported by the Pakistan ISI are reported to be active in drug trafficking along the Kashmir Valley.
5. Ecological Terrorism or Environmental Terrorism
   • It is destruction, or the threat of destruction, of the environment by states, groups, or individuals in order to intimidate or to coerce governments or civilians.
6. Bioterrorism
   • Bioterrorism is a type of purposeful violent terrorist activity in which biological weapons are used. 
   • Biological mediums such as viruses, bacteria are often used in this mode, which harms the cells of humans or plants.
7. Terrorism by External-State Actors
   • When any government directly or indirectly indulges in terrorism against the people of another country, it is referred to as terrorism by state actors.
   • For example – Pakistan and ISI supporting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
8. Terrorism by Non-State Actors
   • The act of terrorism is performed by an individual or a group which is not associated with or financed by any Government.
   • Non-state actors have generally no direct or indirect link with any government or government agency while pursuing their agenda, though indirect linkages cannot be completely ruled out. 
   • Naxalites, LTTE and North-east extremists are some examples of non-state actors.

Reasons For Spread Of Terrorism

• More technology available to conduct acts of terror
• Targets of terrorism are more widespread than ever before.
• Sophisticated means of communication (electronic media, print media, social media, internet) helped terrorists to quickly promote their ideology and hate campaign
• Intolerance in society due to increasing population and decreasing resources
• Increasing globalisation of the society
• International recognition and support to terrorist groups
• Links between terrorism and organised crime to earn easy money

Sources of Funding for Terror Groups

• Most of the terror outfits like Khalistan, Indian Mujahideen are funded and supported by ISI and these funds are raised through drug trafficking, hawala transactions, counterfeit currency, and funds through NGOs and charity trusts.
• In the case of northeast insurgency the funds are raised through  extortion and taxation, trafficking of drugs, weapons and counterfeit currency.
• The case of CPI (Maoist) led insurgency is dependent on  local financial resources that take a share from big infrastructure projects like roads, national highways, dams, rural development projects, etc and they receive security money from mining companies and multinational corporations (MNCs) operating in the country.

Steps Taken to Check Terror Funding

• Making terrorist finance an offence under UAPA
• Integrated action of Security agencies with Financial Intelligence Unit
• Demonetisation
• Improved safety features in new currency
• Strengthening of PMLA in 2013 and 2018
• A special Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Cell (created by MHA in 2019).
• The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2004 also provides for punishment for knowingly holding a property derived or obtained from the commission of a terrorist act or acquired through terrorist funds.